Indian full-service carrier Vistara will operate its last flight on Monday, after nine years in existence. A joint venture between Singapore Airlines and the Tata Sons, Vistara will merge with Tata-owned Air India to form a single entity with an expanded network and broader fleet. This means that all Vistara operations will be transferred to and managed by Air India, including helpdesk kiosks and ticketing offices.
The process of migrating passengers with existing Vistara bookings and loyalty programmes to Air India has been under way over the past few months. “As part of the merger process, meals, service ware and other soft elements have been upgraded and incorporates aspects of both Vistara and Air India,” an Air India spokesperson said in an email response. Amid concerns that the merger could impact service standards, the Tatas have assured that Vistara’s in-flight experience will remain unchanged.
Known for its high ratings in food, service, and cabin quality, Vistara has built a loyal customer base and the decision to retire the Vistara brand has been criticised by fans, branding experts, and aviation analysts. The consolidation was effectively done to clean up Vistara’s books and wipe out its losses, said Mark Martin, an aviation analyst. Air India has essentially been “suckered into taking a loss-making airline” in a desperate move, he added.
“Mergers are meant to make airlines powerful. Never to wipe out losses or cover them.” To be sure, both Air Ind.
